Blank-support for tube-mills.



No 848,285. PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

G; H. BLAXIER. BLANK SUPPORT FOR TUBE MILLS.

APPLICATION IILED SEPIZN. 1905.

UNITED snags PATENT- oFFioE.

sEoRcE HENRY BLAXTER, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To PlITSBURGHSEAMLESS TUBE COMPANY, OF BEAVER FALLS,-PENN- SYLVANIA, AooR oRAr o OFPENNSYLVANIA.

BLANK-SUPPORT FOR TUBE-MILLS.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Maren 26, 1907.

Application filed .ieptemher 19,1905. Serial No. 219,094

specification, lIl wlucl1 Figure 1 .is a view in side elevation of apiercing-mill provided with myimprovement.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view indicated by the line ll ll of lig. 1, illustrating the commencement of the operation. l ig. 3 is anenlarged cross-sectional view on the line III Ill of big. 1. big. 1 is asimilar view on the line IV 1V, SllO'WlDg the sliding support and slidesonly. big. 5 is a perspective detail view of the sliding support. Big. 6is a detail view illustrating amodined construction. Big. 7is an endView of the bearing shown in Fig. 6.

My invention relates to the art of piercing blanks for seamless tubing;an it consists in a device for supporting and preventing free movementof the advancing end of the shell as it travels over and away from thepiercingpoint and for preventing contact with the mandrel-ban heretoforein piercing or expanding long billets the-forward end of the shell hasbeen unrestrained, so that it was free to drop down onto thesupportingbar of the mandrel and to Whip violently around it, tending todistort the hollow billet and injure the bar, while preventing themanufacture of a perfeet blank. This objection is partly obviated by thesliding bushing shown in patent of William Dicks, No. 693,381, datedFebruary 18, 1902; but I have found in practice that the weight of theadvancing tube-in-process or hollow and the bushing, being borneentirely by the mandrel-bar upon which it is slidingly supported, tendsto deflect the bar from true alinement, resulting in injury to the barand an imperfect product. A

My invention is designed to overcome these objectionsand to provide asliding support for the blank which will guide it uniformly in truealinement as it advances over the mandrel entirely independent of'thebar, while at the same time providing a supporting-bean ing for the bar,as shall be hereinafter described.

heferring'to the drawings, 2 3 are the disks of a piercing-mill ofdiiierent diameters, having the same'peripheralspeed, rotating inoppositedirections, as indicated, and vertically onset above andbeloweach other,so as to; secure the forward leedof the billet due-to sucharrangement, in the manner well understood and practiced in this art.

4 is the piercing-point or mandrel, located midway between the diherenthorizontal cen-. ters, and suitably located with relation to the disksto penetrate the billet as it advances, the point being secured upon theend of the usual bar 5, positively held in position by a rigid bearingat the opposite end (not shown) and also by the sliding bearing 6 whenadj acent to the point 4 at the commencement of the operation. Thebearing 6 is slidingljamounted on supporting sliding bearings 7, beingprovided with suitable shoulders 8 or other ahLiLg devices to insure itsproper direction of ti avel. lt is provided at its front portion with arecess or bearing-neck 9 for the bar 5, which may be merely aclearance-opening, but is preferably adapted to engage the bar andprovide a hearing, so as to support the bar as it travels alongunderneath it. At its back portion'toward the advancing end of the Itube-in-process the bearing is provided with a semicircular flaring ortapered cavity 10, converging toward an annular shoulder 11, againstwhich the end of the blank abuts. l'hewidth of the receiving-cavity 10is somewhat greater than the diameter of the blank to insure its seatingagainst the shoulder 11, p at which. point the upwardly-tapering bottomand inwardly-tapering sides converge to about the same 'mensions as theouter di' ameter of the blank, so as to insure its cen. tral engagementtherewith. 1

At the commencement of the operation the bearing is setup close to thepiercing-point, and 'as the blank emerges from between the disks overthe point it enters the tapered opening of the bearing and abuts againstthe shoulder 11; As the blank continues to advance it pushes the bearingahead of it along and upon the slides 7 to the limit of its travel,during which time the end of the blankis positively supported andretained and prevented from lateral movement or contact with the bar.During such operation the bearing also supports the bar by the neck 9and positively prevents the injurious whipping referred to. If desired,the sides of the tapering opening and of the neck-bearing may beextended somewhat above the center of the bearing, insuring su'l'licientstock and giving good bearing-surfaces for the bar and blank. At the endof the rolling operation the bar and the finished hollow billet areremoved, the shoulder 11 acting as a stop to hold the blank as themandrel is withdrawn. The billet or shell is then disengaged and themandrel and bar and sliding bearing are replaced ready for anotheroperation. In cases where an alrcady-pierced billet is again passed overan expanding-plug the bearing is employed in the same manner as has beendeScribed,With the same beneficial'results.

In Figs G and 7 I have shown a modified construction wherein the bearing6 is provided with an opening 9 somewhat larger than the bar 5 and abackwardlyextending tapered nozzle 12, extending from the base 13, whichprovides an annular shoulder against which the hollow billet abuts. Thediameter of the nozzle at its base is about the same or slightly lessthan the inner diameter of" the hollow billet, so that when oncecentered on it, as in Fig. 6, the billet will be maintained centrallythroughout its travel and operation, entirely preventing contact withthe bar.

The advantages of my'invention will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art and will 'be found to provide a simple, ellicient, cheap, anddurable device for the purposes in view. It may be changed or varied bythe skilled mechanic; but all such changes are to be con sidered aswithin the scope of the following claims.

hat I claim is 1. In combination with the supportingbar for the plug orpoint of a piercing-mill, a

1 bearing slidingly mounted parallel with and underneath the bar, andprovided with an I open top and a lowerportion adapted to engage andsupport the hollow billet. I

' '2. In combination with the supportingbar for the plug, or point of apiercing-mill, a

track parallel with'the bar and a bearing slidingly mounted thereonprovided with an open top and a lower portion adapted to engage andsupport the hollow billet.

bar for the plug or point of a piercing-mill, a bearing slidinglymounted parallel with and underneath the bar and provided with aninterior tapered bearing and a shoulder adapted to engage and supportthe hollow billet.

4. In combination with the supportingbar for the plug or point of apiercing-mill, a bearing slidingly mounted parallel with and underneaththe bar and provided with an interior tapered bearing and a shoulderadapted to engage and support the hollow billet,

and a bearing for the bar.

5. A device for the purpose described consisting of a slidable bearinghaving an open top and a lower cohcave interior tapered wall, and ashoulder for the end of the hollow billet. 3

6. A device for thepurpose described con sisting of a slidable bearinghaving interior tapered walls, a shoulder for the end of the hollowbillet and a neck-bearing for the mandrel-bar.

a piercing-mill, a plug or point, a bar thereing slidingly mounted uponthe tracks and adapted to support the hollow billet.

In testimony whereof I al'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY BLAXTER.

WVitnessesz- L. G. GRAY, S. E. MoKIBBEN.

i l l 3. In combmation with the supporting i 1 i i i 7. In combinationwith the disks or rolls of for, and guiding tracks parallel with thebar; an interiorly-tape'red open top concave bear-

